D-Day for Christmas Contest winners

It’s Distribution Day for our 30 Christmas Contest winners and we’re gathering at 10 this morning outside Starbucks in Molito, Alabang, to celebrate another year of unforgettable sporting moments with The Philippine Star.

The response from our benefactors, sponsors, patrons, supporters and friends to donate cash and other prizes for our Christmas Contest was unprecedented. In over 20 years that we’ve run our annual contest, it’s the first time that cash donations hit a grand total of P331,000. Many thanks to our donors – POC P100,000, ABAP/PLDT P50,000, Bounty Agro Ventures (Chooks To Go) P50,000, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines P21,000, The Herma Group P20,000, Sen. Sonny Angara P20,000, Jean Henri Lhuillier P20,000, Columbian Dyip P20,000, NorthPort P10,000, Rommie Chan P10,000, ALA Boxing P5,000 and Games and Amusements Board P5,000.

Additionally, we received P10,000 SM gift certificates from Sen. Bong Go, P4,000 gift certificates from Planet Sports and two overnight accommodations with complimentary breakfast at Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle on Arellano corner Estrada near Taft Avenue from De La Salle College of St. Benilde. 

The first prize winner Ariel Clarito of Pinaglabanan, San Juan, will receive P50,000 cash, P2,000 SM gift certificates, P2,000 Planet Sports gift certificates, one overnight accommodation at Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle, Chooks To Go gift certificate, a 16-inch Union stand fan from Robinson’s Retail Holdings and a box full of gifts, including a Nike backpack, San Miguel Corp. food pack, Molten basketball and many more. The second prize winner John Paul Tanyag of Sucat, Muntinlupa, will receive P30,000 cash, P2,000 SM gift certificates, P2,000 Planet Sports gift certificates, one overnight accommodation at Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle, Chooks To Go gift certificate, a 16-inch Union stand fan and a bag full of gifts. The third prize winner Sharon Agduma Wettlaufer will receive P20,000 cash, P2,000 SM gift certificates, Chooks To Go gift certificate, a 16-inch Union stand fan and a bag full of gifts. Each winner will receive cash, a bag of gifts and a Chooks To Go gift certificate.

The other winners are Hilton Arevalo of Caloocan, Lyndeen Deloria of Quezon City, Bob Eruel Chavez of Poblacion, Muntinlupa, Carlo Balderas of Parañaque, Leonor Fababeir of Quezon City, Nicholson Tee of Sampaloc, Teodoro Hernando Jr. of Quezon City, Ken Noble of Bacoor, Ohrelle Gutierrez of Lubao, Pampanga, Fernando Belo of Bacacay, Albay, Gulliver Banares of Malaysia, Luisa Pago of Malate, Connie Mejilia of Pasig City, Gilbert Alegre of San Pedro, Laguna, Joe Luis Lahom of Makati, Ar-Jay Mayo of San Fernando, La Union, Romano Obmerga of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, Noel Balmes of La Paz, Makati, Michael Gumagay of Subic Freeport Zone, Zambales, Rebecca del Rosario of Sampaloc, Philip John Borja of Laloma, Quezon City, John Ventura of Tondo, Rafaelito Limjoco of Lian, Batangas, Antonio Valenzuela of Diliman, Leonardo Aran of Binangonan, Erica Santos of Obando, Bulacan and Ronchester Oloresisimo of Nagcarlan, Laguna.

We’re grateful to our product donors, many of whom have supported our Christmas Contest for years. They are Ever Bilena/Blackwater Elite (/Calcident white toothpaste, Blackwater Deo Splash, Blackwater Deo soap), Robinson’s Retail Holdings (16-inch Union electric stand fan, double wall water bottles), Alaska (basketballs, Alaska Aces caps, sling bags, milk products), ALA Boxing (boxing gloves, T-shirts, keychains), Ginebra San Miguel (Gatorade), San Miguel Beermen (championship caps, T-shirts), San Miguel Corp. (grocery products, canned food products), Nike (backpacks, bag packs, string bags), Phoenix (induction speakers with table calendars, digital wrist watches, vehicle sun shades, notebooks), NLEX (basketballs, executive bags, arm sleeves, Philippine Star (T-shirts), SEA Games shirts, SEA Games string bags), Meralco (heavy-duty extension wire, electric kettles, shirts, umbrellas), PBA (T-shrts, Hardcourt Annuals, backpack, rechargeable light stands), Sonak Corp. (basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls), Purefoods (Magnolia T-shirts), SBP (basketballs, Gilas Pilipinas T-shirts), PLDT/Metro Pacific (powerbank, wine tool bottle, string bag), Rain or Shine (umbrellas, T-shirts, tumblers, cups, eco-bags), Rommie Chan (Vita Coco, loot bags of coconut products) and Peak (basketball jersey sets, sandals, sling bags).

Christmas will come a few days early for our 30 winners. We received entries from all over the country and even abroad. We eliminated entries with wrong answers and disqualified those with incomplete personal details or essays that went beyond the limit of three sentences. We chose 30 winners with the correct answers to our three quiz questions and the most insightful essays on “The Significance of Hosting the SEA Games.”

We shared our first prize winner’s essay in this column last Wednesday. In future columns, we’ll share essays of other entries. Congratulations to our 30 winners and sincere thanks to our generous donors, Rep. Abraham (Bambol) Tolentino, Sen. Sonny Angara, Sen. Bong Go, Ricky Vargas, Cynthia Carrion, Hermie Esguerra, Jean Henri Lhuillier, Robina Gokonwei-Pe, Dioceldo Sy, Dicky Bachmann, C. K. Kanapi-Daniolco, Erick Arejola, Bobby Rosales, Tony Aldeguer, Rommie Chan, Miguel Belmonte, Tammy Mendoza, Kin Lichauco, Alfrancis Chua, Robert Non, Mary Jane Llanes, Jino Ferrer, Ronald Mascarinas, Atty. Raymond Zorilla, Anton Gonzalez, Rod Franco, Ryan Gregorio, Willie Marcial, Abraham Mitra, Anil Buxani, Rene Pardo, Sonny Barrios, Abet Dungo, Atty. Mamerto Mondragon, Michael Chenglay and Edu Jarque.